The invention generally relates to multi-chamber food packages and more specifically to a multi-chamber or compartmentalized food package which is both nestable in its unfilled state and self-displaying when filled and sealed.
While the diversity of snack foods increases on an almost daily basis, over the long term, such foods reflect the consumers' desire for quickly and readily available sustenance and currently reflect their demand for healthier foods, i.e., foods low in calories, fats and cholesterol. Manufacturer's have responded with a wide variety of products satisfying these demands.
In addition to the constantly changing demands for foodstuffs themselves, a second trend of the snack food market relates to packaging for the products. Single serving packages which provide average or typically sized servings of a food or snack are increasingly popular. These packages not only remain sealed until just prior to consumption thereby eliminating sanitation concerns but also avoid all problems associated with leftovers, i.e., storage and all too frequently spoilage and waste of the food product because there are no leftovers. Such single serving packaging, once confined almost exclusively to milk cartons, now includes other dairy products, salads, entrees, cookies, crackers, fruit and the like.
A confluence of these two food industry trends has resulted in single serving snacks or meals which include a variety of foodstuffs. For example, foods compatible from a storage temperature standpoint such as meat and cheese may be combined in one package with other less storage temperature sensitive snacks such as cookies, crackers or candy. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,329 to Pomroy et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,901 to Hundley teach compartmentalized food containers intended for accepting two or more distinct foodstuffs.
A feature of food containers which is looked upon favorably by vendors and appreciated by customers relates to display of such packages. It is well known to include a flange or flap along the upper edge of the package into which an aperture is formed so that the package may be hung on horizontal rods of a display rack. Alternatively, a hook or similar open shape may be formed in a flap which also facilitates hanging display. Aside from the additional manufacturing steps necessary to produce an aperture or hook in a flange or flap of a package, such packaging necessitates specialized display equipment in a store or refrigeration case having plural oblique or horizontal rods for receiving the packages. Furthermore, if the product is not balanced within the package relative to the hang point, the package will hang at an angle. Such skewed disposition is generally considered to be unattractive and therefore undesirable.
One solution to the foregoing problem has been to fabricate the package in a manner which facilitates self-display, that is, vertical or substantially vertical storage and display, on a shelf or other horizontal surface. U.S. Pat. No. 3,037,677 to Debs teaches a metal foil package wherein one lip or edge may be arranged to provide a suitable base area so that the package will stand upright without other support to display the package. Such vertical display is also achieved in the package disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,940 to Grindrod. This patent discloses a multi-compartment plastic package having a stiff collar which completely encircles the package and enables it to stand on one edge. A similar package is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,701 to Hustad et al. In this patent, a multi-compartment package includes a stiff flap secured to the bottom of the package which, in cooperation with the front lip of the package, maintains it in an upright position. Clearly, the packages in the above two patents require additional components to maintain them in an upright, display position which is undesirable.
From the foregoing, it is apparent that improvements in the art of self-standing, multi-compartment food packages are desirable and would have significant utility.